If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Congress shall not distribute any revenue, except in return for services rendered or goods delivered. No appropriation shall be made for any purpose except the necessary functions of government under the powers enumerated herein.

Congress shall make no law which infringes on the right of the people to create, use or dispose of property.

No person shall be seated in the Congress who has been convicted of a felony, or impeached from federal office.

The right of the states to enforce the laws of the nation shall not be abridged.

Congress shall not have a budget that consists of deficit spending, except in times of war.

Heh. This will be called the "times of war clause," and Congress will remain perpetually at war (war on terror, war on drugs, and so forth) so as they can constantly engage in deficit spending.

At first I thought we could change it to say: "Congress shall not have a budget that adds to the Federal Deficit"... but then, Congress would just stop passing Congressional Budgets... and invent something tortured like "ad hoc budgets" and then lawyers can argue whether they are technically budgets for purposes of this amendment. AFAIK, we haven't passed a budget in years.

So maybe... "Congress shall not engage in deficit spending"... but then they will redefine "engage"

What about... "It shall be prohibited for Federal Receipts to be greater than Federal Revenue in single fiscal year."

And then a thought struck me. We just need to stop electing Congressmen that redefine constitutional language so as to suit them, for any new constitutional amendments to matter.

New York City would end up with something like 150 Reps alone then. Even in rural area's you'd have a rep for every 1 to 2 counties.

Which would not be a bad thing. It's not often that Annoyo and I agree on something, but the idea of the House of Representatives was that people would know their representatives personally, and would be able to choose relatively decent neighbors to represent them. The original intent of the senate was that it would represent the governments of the states, which meant that the legislatures, in choosing one of their own, would pick someone that they knew and respected. We might not get less partisanship, but would any state legislature send someone like Joe Biden to the senate?

Which would not be a bad thing. It's not often that Annoyo and I agree on something, but the idea of the House of Representatives was that people would know their representatives personally, and would be able to choose relatively decent neighbors to represent them. The original intent of the senate was that it would represent the governments of the states, which meant that the legislatures, in choosing one of their own, would pick someone that they knew and respected. We might not get less partisanship, but would any state legislature send someone like Joe Biden to the senate?

No straight malt until after supper, i knew consumption would go up!

The difference between pigs and people is that when they tell you you're cured it isn't a good thing.

I asked everyone I knew that I thought was going to vote for Barry..."Doesn't exempting himself from Barrycare (the single greatest accomplishment of his presidency, in his mind) send up any kind of red flag for you?"

Which would not be a bad thing. It's not often that Annoyo and I agree on something, but the idea of the House of Representatives was that people would know their representatives personally, and would be able to choose relatively decent neighbors to represent them. The original intent of the senate was that it would represent the governments of the states, which meant that the legislatures, in choosing one of their own, would pick someone that they knew and respected. We might not get less partisanship, but would any state legislature send someone like Joe Biden to the senate?

While I agree, when your looking at a population of 300 million, your talking thousands of representatives. How would anything ever get done?

Just from their pay alone, your looking at 8 billion dollars. Other costs incured? Our deficit the last few years would be a joke.

In most sports, cold-cocking an opposing player repeatedly in the face with a series of gigantic Slovakian uppercuts would get you a multi-game suspension without pay.

In hockey, it means you have to sit in the penalty box for five minutes.